Eventual return of two Astros just as important as the three new ones

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) watches the Astros take on the Texas Rangers from the dugout at Minute Maid Park on Friday, July 27, 2018 in Houston. Rangers won the game 11-2.

Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle

SEATTLE — A stunning Monday preceded a quiet Tuesday.

Headlined by the acquisition of a dynamite closer who is an alleged domestic abuser, the Astros’ non-waiver trade deadline arrived Tuesday without another deal, leaving them with three new players, a fortified bullpen and the anticipated return of injured middle-infield duo Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa.

“Our best acquisitions, no matter what, are going to be when Altuve and Correa get back,” said manager A.J. Hinch, who announced the team has an initial plan to get Correa on a rehab assignment by Thursday.

“It’s been great to see the new additions here, and we’re going to continue to evolve as a team, get healthier. I didn’t know (if another deal would be made Tuesday) just because you never know. But I’m very happy with the moves we made and happier we’re getting healthier as the days go.”

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ASTROS

(67-41, .620)

RP Roberto Osuna

RP Ryan Pressly

C Martin Maldonado

The Osuna-for-Ken Giles deal exchanged one headache for another. Osuna has 104 saves at age 23, but his suspension for domestic abuse brings a risk to clubhouse chemistry.

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Defensive stalwart Martin Maldonado, who figures to be the team’s third catcher on a postseason roster, and righthanded setup man Ryan Pressly were acquired within a day of one another last week.

Monday, Houston stole the sport’s focus when it landed Roberto Osuna, the 23-year-old Blue Jays closer who is charged with one count of assaulting a woman and on Wednesday has a court appearance scheduled in Canada.

Talk of acquiring another bat was popular. The Astros are generating little production from their left fielders — they carried an anemic .687 OPS entering Tuesday’s game — and are lefthanded-heavy at the corners. Tony Kemp, Kyle Tucker and Josh Reddick all hit from the left side. Marwin Gonzalez is a switch hitter.

But as 3 p.m. came and went Tuesday, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow did not strike another deal.

The Astros’ closest pursuer refused to follow suit.

The Mariners, who trimmed their deficit in the American League West to three games with Monday’s 2-0 win over the Astros, bolstered their outfield on Tuesday after reinforcing their bullpen late Monday. They acquired former Astros Cameron Maybin in the deadline’s final hour after acquiring relievers Zach Duke and Adam Warren the night before. Another arm, reliever Sam Tuivailala, was added by Seattle last week.

And though Oakland — just five games back in the division entering Tuesday — did not make any deadline-day deals, it grabbed Mets closer Jeurys Familia last week to serve in a setup role.

“A lot of teams did their work early like us; some teams waited until the deadline,” Hinch said. “You never know how many deals are going to go down. A lot of moving parts, some we’re going to see pretty soon — whether it’s guys here in Seattle or this weekend when we get to L.A. (to face a Dodgers team that now has Manny Machado and Brian Dozier) — it’s a crazy time of year, and today delivered as one of the crazier days with all the moving parts.”

Though Tuesday carries with it an “end of it all” aura, trades are not prohibited in August. But players must first pass through waivers.

Players must be acquired by Aug. 31 to retain postseason eligibility. The Astros famously acquired Justin Verlander last season with seconds to spare on Aug. 31. They also acquired reliever Tyler Clippard on Aug. 14.

“Pretty normal for this time of year,” Verlander said Monday of the club’s new look. “I think this team is so good in this locker room that we’re well-adapted to be able to have some changes like that happen but still keep the atmosphere in here.”

Chandler Rome joined the Houston Chronicle in 2018 to cover the Astros after spending one year in Tuscaloosa covering Alabama football — during which Nick Saban asked if he attended college. He did, at LSU, where he covered the Tigers baseball team for nearly four years. He covered most of the Astros' 2015 playoff run, too, as an intern for MLB.com

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